Work on the new Mississippi River bridge at Lansing resumes in earnest after delay due to high river levels, piers are main focus

submitted by the Iowa Department of Transportation

The flood waters have receded and it’s back to work for the contractors at the site of the new Mississippi River bridge at Lansing. The high water shut down construction for just over a month, proving again that Mother Nature almost always has the upper hand!

When the crews returned to work July 22, they had to clean up and set up the project site. When the flood hit, crews moved equipment and materials to protect them from the water. Before they could resume construction, they had to put things back where they belong and clean materials that may have been covered in water. That includes power washing rebar (as shown in the picture at right). It wasn’t just cleaning and moving equipment and materials, the contractor also had to do a lot of work on the site itself, like hauling in gravel to give them a solid and level surface to drive and work on.

As soon as the site was clean and ready, work started on three of the new piers.

First, at pier two (pictured in the photo at left below) in the Mississippi River, the contractor started installing the large iron tubes that will support the footing. These tubes, or casings, are 11.5-feet wide and are driven more than 100 feet below the river bottom to bedrock with a large vibratory hammer.

During this process we closed the existing bridge for a couple hours to minimize the chance of any damage to the existing bridge by limiting the vibration from traffic while the casings were vibrated into the ground. We announced the closings a day in advance on Facebook so drivers could plan their bridge crossings. We thank everyone for their patience during the closures.

Once the casings are in place, they will be filled with a rebar cage and concrete to form a very solid base for the new bridge.

Next, we are moving east to pier three on the shoreline of Wisconsin. Those casings have been filled with rebar and concrete and it’s now time to start working on the footing. Crews have set the forms for the footing and are currently placing and tying rebar. When that’s complete the forms will be filled with concrete and the base of the pier will be in place.

Also, we now have a look at the completed pier four (pictured at right below). The forms from the last concrete pour had been in place for several months until crews had a chance to remove them. That time came on August! Now piers four and five are complete, as well as the east abutment. The abutment is the concrete structure that supports the beams for the end of the bridge.

The flooding did set the project back but it’s too early to tell if it will affect the new bridge opening date of late fall in 2026. With still just over two years of construction remaining there is time to make up for the delay caused by the high water.

Don’t forget to check out the project Facebook page. You do not have to be a Facebook member to check out the site. And you can get a look at what’s happening by looking at the live webcam at the project website. The website also has a lot of information about the project itself and the history of the current bridge.